What You Should Know About Voice Engine Optimization.
SEO trends have continually shifted from basic link harvesting, keyword stuffing all the way to natural content. But have you ever conducted a voice search or used a voice engine before? Voice engines are devices that can listen and respond to people. They help people with questions or tasks, such as playing music or asking what time it is. So, how can VOE benefit your business?
What is Voice Engine Optimization (VOE)?
According to chatmeter.com, Voice engine optimization is the process of optimizing your content to become the primary answer in voice searches. Voice search refers to verbal searches made to devices that have it. Whether it be Google Home, Siri, Alexa, Cortana, or others, if your content is not optimized for voice search results, it will not be read.
The importance of ensuring your content is the best is that only one result will be read. Voice search results do not read 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place rankings. Hence, it is important to be at the top of voice search results; whether it is a recipe, instructions, or song, the voice search device will read out what your business has to say.
Voice search operations
Voice search can help you find many things. For example, playing music on a voice search device can be easy by asking to play a song based on name and artist. Of course, the streaming and where the content is fetched can be different based on each device. Apple devices get the music from apple music. Amazon devices get the music from amazon music. But most voice search devices allow the user to connect their music service like Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, etc.
Voice devices also allow a user to keep a shopping list and link to multiple devices. For example, your Amazon account and data can be synced on multiple devices. The advantage is that you can tell any device to set a reminder or add an item to your shopping cart.
If you have voice search devices in your home/office, you can also make your environment smart. With this ability, you can change light colors, dim lights, close/open blinds, set the temperature, turn on the tv, or have coffee ready when you get up in the morning. Other pros can include telling your voice assistant to set a timer for dinner or an alarm to wake up.
Voice commands and searches can help you efficiently complete day-to-day skills like ordering from a restaurant, playing a game, looking for a movie, and calling for a taxi. Other benefits of VOE include easier access to everyday information like the weather, traffic, news.
Driving can be safer with a voice assistant by your side. Voice assistants can tell you the directions of a location, answer/end calls, send text messages without reaching for a device. Have you ever lost your phone? With voice search, it is easier to find your lost phone too!
How voice search works
Voice search works based on speech recognition technology, this technology recognizes sound packets that we project when we speak. If you say the word car, the software recognizes it as c-a-r (phones). The sound packets and phones or blocks of sound that all words are build from are analyzed and “understood.” When we listen, our ears catch phonemes going through the air, and the brain converts them into words, sentences, ideas, thoughts. Computers, smart devices, smartphones, search software use phonemes to recognize our voice, converting it to letters, words, sentences. Real bits are analyzed and processed using algorithms, problem-solving to recognize it as a voice. There are four ways a computer approaches the conversion of spoken words to voice search:
- Simple matching, where a whole word is recognized, is compared to a similar sound stored in the memory.
- In the pattern and feature analysis, every word is broken down into bits recognizing key features like vowels.
- Language modeling, statistical analysis, grammar, certain sounds, or words combine to improve accuracy and how fast a voice is recognized.
- Artificial neural networks; brain-like computer models that recognize patterns of sounds and words.
How to Start Voice Engine Optimization
Now that you know what voice engine optimization is and how it can affect business. How do you optimize a website and its online content for voice engines and traditional SEO channels?
Following are some basic steps to get you started:
1. Update your business listings.
A business listing is a public profile that contains business information. Hence, why local SEO is paramount, the following information should be current and prominent on sites like Google My Business:
- The business name
- A business description
- Link to your website
- Hours of operation
- Business address & phone number
2. Optimize for Mobile
Mobile devices now account for 20% of voice searches. That means it is important to focus on mobiles and not just devices like computers, laptops, and tablets. Also, ways you can optimize for mobile devices is by having a structured site. That way the website is good for both computers and mobiles. That can increase website traffic, causing more sales in your business.
3. Use long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are phrases of three words or more. Voice engines are highly specific in their word choice, so it is important to play to that. An example is instead of saying “Walmart near me,” on Google. In voice engines, you would say, “where is the nearest Walmart?” this makes more sense when it comes to everyday speech instead of a more robotic search query. Using natural language with direct answers to specific questions is key.
4. Schema markup and rich snippets
How do you Take Advantage of Voice Engine Optimization?
Because it is important to be number one in voice search, you need to optimize your content to be the top voice engine. There are 3 simple steps to optimize your content and utilize the best web words.
1. Use conversational speech.
When using voice engine optimization, it is important to use words that people use in everyday talk. When users use voice search, they talk to it like they are talking to a friend. Therefore, it is important not to use big words in your content and title. Make your words more conversational. These will result in the likelihood of showing up in search results.
2. Provide some answers.
When someone asks a question on the internet, they want a quick answer. One way to optimize your content in search results is to answer questions. The content should be structured in such a way that short and in-depth answers are available. Voice engines are used primarily to answer questions. So, answering common and complex questions will help optimize your content and business.
3. Test it.
To make sure your content is optimized for searches is to test it. See if it works. You can get into the mind of the reader. See what they search for, how they search for it, and the words they use. Then implement your strategy.
A great way to test voice queries is actually to try it on Google. Click on the mic, and ask!
Benefits of Voice Engine Optimization
1. It is fast.
Because voice engines use voice instead of words on screen or text, it is faster. Think about how long it takes to write a sentence. And how long it takes to say that same sentence. The speech will most likely be faster. That is good for the consumer because they can get the answers they want quicker. In fact, with can be a difference in whether they want to buy a product you sell or not.
2. It allows you to multitask.
Voice engine optimization allows you to multitask. For example, when you are cooking and need to check a recipe, but your hands are covered in flour, it's only going to be easier to ask Google. The benefit of not having to wash your hands so that you can touch your phone. Another example is if you have an iPhone, you can use the “hey Siri” feature. Say “Hey Siri” and ask for the recipe. Once again, not having to type your search query.
3. It saves money.
A well-optimized website through brilliant and effective online marketing will save you money in terms of little or no online advertising.
Negatives of Voice Engine Optimization
1. No guarantee.
Just like all businesses, there is no guarantee of success. You can do all of the work to optimize your content to come up in voice searches. You can make your website faster, use conversational speech, and more. But that does not mean you will come up in voice searches. Other companies and businesses could take hold of the number one spot. That is the reality of business. But, being aggressive and staying on task will help your business keep that number on the spot.
2. Still in Development.
Because voice engine optimization is still relatively new, it still has some way to go. Though new features are released, it will be a while until search results through voice are more natural than today. In fact, sometimes, your content could be too confusing or complicated for the VOE technologies to understand.
3. Lack of privacy.
For voice searches, privacy is a problem with some consumers. They might not want to have a device capable of listening in on them. Products like Alexa are capable of listening to consumers all the time. In fact, 41% of users have privacy concerns with voice assistants. That could be a problem for your business because not all potential customers may not use or have a voice assistant.
For example, a woman in Portland, OR, was on a private conversation that an Amazon Echo recorded. According to kiro7.com, every room in her family home was wired with Amazon devices to control her home’s heat, lights, and security system. Danielle, the woman who was recorded, said her husband’s employee called them, telling her to unplug her Echo device. She unplugged all of the devices. They later received audio files that recorded her conversion with her husband. Someone from 176 miles away was listening to them.
She said, “I’m never plugging in that device again because I can’t trust it.”
Shelby Lichliter, an Amazon spokeswoman, sent a statement to Kiro 7. She explained how the Echo woke up due to a word in the conversation sounding like “Alexa.” And recorded the couple because the Echo heard the words “send a message.” An unlikely string of events caused the whole situation to unfold. It was an infrequent occurrence that does not usually happen.
Danielle had a private conversation recorded by an Amazon Echo. That is not something anyone wants to deal with or go through. But at the same time, technology is not perfect. So, cases like this are bound to happen. It makes the consumers think if getting a voice assistant that listens to you is worth it?
How voice search is changing SEO
Voice search is changing how SEO works. When people voice search, they tend to go into detail to get the right answer. An average voice search queries consist of twenty-nine words. Hence, why content on websites needs to be written so smartphones can easily speak it. Meaning that content needs to be short, clean to be easily searched by, and answers heard. Changing the way content is written for a website needs to be written to what people say/ask, not searched/typed.
With a lot of people owning smartphone devices, people are searching for local places. Concentrating on what people are searching for locally is something many SEO experts include as part of their online marketing strategies.
Voice searching is being used for micro-moments. Micro-moments is when a user uses a voice assistant to search and while deciding something. Again making it about what people are searching about locally; purchasing an item, visit a store.
Voice search statistics
According to Google, about 27 percent of all searches are voice searches. Currently, the most popular use of a smart speaker is playing music. By 2022 global voice commerce is expected to reach 40 billion dollars. Apple’s SIRI leads the smartphone voice assistant market share with 48.4 percent. Google assistant has a 28.7 percent market share, and Alexa has 10 percent. Voice search queries are longer than regular text-based searches. 40 percent of adults with a smartphone use voice search at least once a day, and 20 percent of adults use voice search at least once a month. 55 percent of teenagers use voice search daily. For parents that own voice-activated speakers, 72 percent have considered shopping online with their devices.
How to better boost for voice search
You can optimize for voice search by writing your content naturally and in a conversational tone since people will be asking questions using their voice. Focus on not using keywords in your content. Focus on providing more helpful answers for users. People ask longer questions when using voice search, focusing on long-tail keyword phrases to reach more users. Building a mobile responsive website can be a good way to reach users because so many people use their smartphones daily. Try to answer questions with as few words as possible, 29 words or less.
Voice search and smart homes are the future. In the US, houses will increase when it comes to smart homes.
Future of Voice Engine Optimization
Voice Engines are just starting to become popular. Smart speakers like Google Home and Alexa are becoming more popular. According to statstica.com, Google Home unit sales were 12.5 million worldwide in 2018. In 2025 it is expected to be 140 million-unit sales worldwide. This number alone justifies why small businesses should start to place more emphasis on voice engine optimization.
Some Facts
Voice Engine Optimization: Common Questions and Answers
What is the difference between voice engine optimization and search engine optimization?
- Search engine optimization is how you optimize your content for searches via text entry, whereas VEO is geared towards voice search and results.
When were voice engines made?
- Voice engine systems originated in the late 1950s. Noriko Umeda created voice engines in 1968. It was developed in an Electrotechnical laboratory in Japan at the time.
Takeaway on Voice Engine Optimization.
Now that you know what voice engine optimization you may have gathered its importance and be prepared as its momentum picks. To be competitive, you should use multiple avenues for online presence, and VEO being one of them. By taking one step towards effective SEO, you will see that it will be advantageous to your business over time.
